Vegan St. Lucia Buns

St. Lucia buns are saffron laced and are traditionally made in Sweden for St. Lucia day, a winter solstice celebration. These are great for snacking or for breakfast.

Servings

12 Buns

Total time

40 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup almond milk (or other non-dairy Milk)

⅛ tsp Saffron strands

¼ cup vegan Butter

1 cups all purpose flour

½ cup Wholewheat Pastry Flour

1 tsp instant yeast

2 tbsp sugar

¾ tsp salt

1 tbsp Egg Replacer powder whisked in 5tbsp water

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp almond milk ((more for a thinner smoothie))

1 tbsp agave nectar

as needed Golden Raisins

as needed Sparking Sugar (optional)

Method

In a small saucepan, combine milk, saffron and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Add the butter and set aside to melt and cool down to lukewarm temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, yeast, sugar and salt. Whisk well.

Add the lukewarm milk-butter mixture along with egg replacer mixture and vanilla extract to the flour. Mix and knead until a soft, pliable dough forms, about 10 minutes by hand.

Place in a lightly greased bowl; cover and set aside for 1 hour or until the dough is puffy and almost doubled in volume.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form into rough logs, cover and set aside for 10 minutes for the dough to relax.

Roll each log into 8"~10" long rope and shape them into 'S' shape. Place a raisin on each coil of the 'S'.

Place the buns on a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Leave about an 1" between the buns. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes for the buns to rise or until the buns are noticeably puffed, but not nearly doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine almond milk and agave nectar in a small bowl. Brush the buns with the almond milk mixture and sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if using.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12~15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool them on a wire rack. Enjoy these warm!! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.